


I Like Me Better When I'm With You (I Knew From the First Time)

by starsnatched



Series: Fangs On My Neck (Now You're Mine) [12]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alpha Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun, Alpha Nakamoto Yuta, Alpha Suh Youngho | Johnny, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Bottom Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun, Breeding, Character Study, Crack, Developing Relationship, Dirty Talk, Dom Nakamoto Yuta, Established Relationship, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Idiots in Love, Knotting, M/M, Might add more tags, Minor Mark Lee/Suh Youngho | Johnny, Non-Traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Omega Mark Lee (NCT), Relationship Study, Sexual Tension, Smut, Sub Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun, Top Nakamoto Yuta
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-15
Updated: 2020-11-15
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:34:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,020
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27574562
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starsnatched/pseuds/starsnatched
Summary: “Hyung,” The man can’t stop himself. He’s so overcome with emotion, and so suddenly; what’s the matter with him? “I really, really love you, you know.”“Iknow, Jaehyunnie. I love you too,” Yuta rolls over on top of the taller. He grins, then rolls off to Jaehyun's side. “We’ve come really far, don’t you think?”
Relationships: Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun/Nakamoto Yuta, Mark Lee/Suh Youngho | Johnny
Series: Fangs On My Neck (Now You're Mine) [12]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1859527
Comments: 14
Kudos: 215





	I Like Me Better When I'm With You (I Knew From the First Time)

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry for the wait! I wanted to really give my everything for this series, so I hope this lives up to your expectations. Almost 12k words— wow.
> 
> Let me know what you think in the comments or on twitter, @starsnatched!

“Hey, it’s your… you know,” Yuta mumbles as they cuddle in their bed. His eyes sweep over the both of them, watching his boyfriend— _boyfriend_ — snuggle against the blankets. It’s December, and that means cold nights; the heating in the dormitory isn’t so great, but it’s a good thing they have each other to stay toasty. “Won’t it be your rut soon?”

“Yeah, in a week or so. Why?”

“Do you want me to take care of you like last time?”

“What kind of question is that? Of course I do,” Jaehyun sighs, letting one of his arms burst through fluffy cloth to wrap around the shorter’s. “Actually, I was thinking of something.”

“What is it?”

“It’s a little—” The Korean winced, and a blush spreads across his cheeks. “I kind of… I mean— can you be rough with me?”

“...How?”

“Um. Well,” The man groans into the blankets, trying to bury himself in them. His voice is slightly muffled. “I kind of want you to… push me around, call me names, and just… force me to submit? Yeah, that’s basically— I want you to force me into submission. I-I don’t know! I know it sounds so bad but I was thinking about it and I— fuck, I don’t know.”

“I... don’t really mind. I mean, I kind of do. But I’m not trying to shame you or anything! I—” Yuta cuddles closer. “I just— what if I hurt you so bad that the injuries are there forever? What if I go too far with the insults? What if… I just… There's too many things that can go wrong and I don’t want them to go wrong. Maybe in the future I can be… you know… but for now, I—”

“Okay, okay. I get it. I understand,” Jaehyun mumbles, leaving a little peck on the blonde’s forehead. He feels a little disappointment, but it’s okay; the Japanese man was only looking out for him. He can’t indulge in his most inner desires now, but there is always a next time. “You have a point. Thank you for caring for me, alpha.”

“C’mere,” Yuta one-ups him by closing the distance between their lips. They take their time, warming each other up in the winter breeze. It’s the shorter that breaks the kiss. “Let’s go to sleep, you got class early tomorrow.”

“Heyyy, you— Jae, is everything alright?” Johnny sits beside him, but grimaces when he hears the younger grumble. The American jumps when he sees the ravenet thud his head on his desk. “Did you have a fight with Yuta or something?”

“What? No. I’m just really—” Jaehyun rubs the back of his neck, and lets his hand curl into a fist as he slams it against the wooden table. “Fuck, I don’t know. Feeling a bit on edge.”

“Is it gonna be your rut?” The brunett gets a sad nod in return. “Yikes. How soon?”

“In a week?”

“Dude, but you’re...” Johnny leans close to whisper. “Aren’t you, like, showing signs of a rut right now?”

“It can’t be.” The younger mutters but deep down, he knows the truth. He can feel the gnawing need creep up on him. It’s barely there— merely a wisp of a _hint_ of that need, but it’s there. He gripes, cursing his alpha genetics. 

“Is it the month where you gotta stay off your suppressants?” Johnny only receives a sound of affirmation. “Well, at least next month you can take them again?”

“Can’t people come up with suppressants safe enough to be taken every single month? Talk about inconvenience.”

“Hey, you got Yuta to take care of you during them,” Johnny pokes him in the ribs, snickering when the other man jumps and raises his head. The shorter’s eyes are intense, but the older man pays him no mind. “Must be really satisfying.”

“Shut u-up. You know what—?” Jaehyun tries to reach for brown hair and to pull on it, but his friend just guffaws as he dodges. Once more, the Korean’s ears turn red with embarrassment and he feels it; how does one turn their ears off? 

There was the sound of someone clearing their throat, and one look to the front of the lecture hall revealed the professor. They were setting things up and, when they turned to face the class, they looked tired.

“Alright everyone,” They speak, letting their words fade into a sigh. “Let’s get right into it, shall we? Today, we’ll be talking about—”

Their words faded into white noise as Jaehyun taps his foot on the floor. He feels antsy, restless, and he squirms in his seat. He leans forward to rest his head on a hand, playing with his own hair as he tries to listen to the lesson.

(He fails.)

When he gets back to the dorm, Yuta’s about to leave.

“Hey baby,” He lifts his head to leave a kiss on the younger’s cheek, but Jaehyun just takes it without a word, removing his shoes like nothing had happened. He tries to act like so, but in reality Yuta’s scent had become a little too strong, a little too aromatic. “Baby?”

“Sorry…” The ravenet just mumbles, leaving a haphazard peck on top of blonde hair before trudging to their bed. He strips down to just his underwear before flopping on the mattress, groaning. The cool air of winter doesn’t do much to help, but it does nonetheless; he’ll take what he can get. “It’s just… my rut.”

The shorter one follows him to the bed, leaning over and letting the back of his hand touch Jaehyun’s forehead. He then closes in on the Korean’s neck, sniffing around for a few seconds, before pulling back. “Your scent’s gotten sweeter.”

“You sure? No one else mentioned it to me, though.”

“Wait— really? But it’s so…” Yuta dives back in, trying to get more whiffs of the taller’s scent. “I mean… it’s not that obvious but it’s right there. I can smell it.”

“Mmh.” The younger hums. _Maybe…_

“Well, your rut doesn’t come for two days or more. Wanna cuddle later when I get back? I have an appointment with the guidance counselor after classes, but I promise I’ll come back straight away.”

“Okay,” Jaehyun mumbles, rolling onto his stomach and burying his face in the pillows. “But we can’t cuddle so much. ‘S getting too hot.”

A chuckle floats out of the older man’s lips, “Sure.” as he lets one last kiss linger on the Korean’s head. He silently pads through their room, puts on his shoes, and leaves. The man is left to stew in his own feelings, the mercy of his rut, and the cold breeze.

The man spends the next few hours rolling around in their bed, trying to get into comfortable positions and letting the feeling of winter settle on his skin. When he hears the door open, he raises his head, “Hey hyung, how was— hyung?”

Jaehyun watches the blonde almost stumbling as he removes his shoes, swearing. He drops his bag somewhere on the floor and peels off his clothes until he’s in his boxers, all but jumping into the bed. He screams into the mattress for a second, before moving his head to the side, “Today kinda sucked.”

“Yeah?” The younger hums, stroking his boyfriend’s hair.

“I think…” Yuta mumbles. “Okay, don’t panic.”

“This is giving me flashbacks to when you took back your courting.”

“That was—this is serious!” The Japanese man snarls amidst the laughter. He calms down after a moment, however, taking in a deep breath. “So, I’m also gonna be in rut.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

“How did you figure your rut was near?”

“Donghyuck bonked his head against my neck and declared it.”

“Was it because of me?”

“Maybe,” The shorter rolls on top of Jaehyun, pinning the taller down. Oh, the ravenet can turn the tables if he really wants to, but he just lets himself be pinned; he’s watching, observing. “Because not long after I smelled something _really sweet_ , my own rut was triggered.”

“That’s weird,” Jaehyun mutters, and he can’t help the shit-eating grin plastered on his face. “I wonder what that something was.” 

Yuta bares his teeth, growling. The fangs are just slightly poking out, but they’re there all the same. The younger had the audacity to show his own too, and they spent the next few seconds having a stare down as the air around them fizzled with tension.

“I suggest you stand down, little alpha.” The older mutters lowly, and doesn’t say anything else. It was supposed to be just that—a suggestion. But it somehow held so much... power. That one sentence left no room for negotiation, it sent shivers down Jaehyun’s spine and made him avert his eyes to look at the wall. 

“Shit,” Arms wrap around the younger to hug him, and he only dares to look when he hears how apologetic Yuta’s tone is. The man had buried his face in the taller’s neck. “Fuck, I’m so, _so_ sorry. I just… I don’t know what I— fuck, I didn’t even realize that I—”

“It’s okay,” Jaehyun’s voice is raspy, and it comes as a surprise to the both of them. “It’s fine. I actually… I liked it.”

“You liked it.” Yuta slowly straightens his back, looking down at him. His eyes flicker through a variety of emotions under a second.

“Yeah.”

“Interesting,” The shorter runs a hand down the Korean’s body; it was quick and fleeting, but it still left a trail of electricity. He then gets off, falling onto the mattress with a grunt. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

“You will? Why? Are you planning a surprise?”

“If I told you, then it wouldn’t be a surprise,” The blonde chuckles, curling up into Jaehyun’s embrace. Embracing each other, Yuta continues to speak. “Hey… do you think that we’re both having ruts because— you know—”

“I… I think so,” The taller man runs his hands up and down his boyfriend’s back, plays with the bleached hair that brushes against his nape. Jaehyun worries at his lip. “Is it okay? I mean, with you? Even though it’s so soon?”

Yuta doesn’t respond for a moment, just purrs into the crook of the younger’s neck. When he speaks, the other alpha almost wants to shut his eyes and fall asleep when he hears the blonde’s voice softly drift like a little lullaby, “Do you think we’re moving too fast?”

“I don’t know,” Jaehyun responds, and it’s true. The months with the older man had been great, almost like a dream; they had their ups and downs, but at the end of the day they know that there’s no place they’d rather be but with each other. “I know people tend to wait for a long while before they mate. But— I just…” 

The man sighs, hugging Yuta close. He feels his heart hammer against his chest, but it wasn’t out of nervousness. No— for some reason, his eyes become a little blurry from tears, and he feels emotions bubbling across his skin and forcing goosebumps to rise.

“I want you. My _inner alpha_ wants you And if—” Jaehyun has to pause to let out a shaky breath. He feels the Japanese man squeeze him for a moment as a sign of reassurance. “If they— if maybe I liked you so much that my rut came early… then I d— I trust myself. I trust my alpha. M-my inner alpha I mean.”

Yuta is silent, only lightly tugging the black hair so that the younger can pull away. When he does, his vision is covered by a mop of hair and lips pressed against his own. They don’t move, and it clicks in Jaehyun’s mind that the older did that to ground him. 

The shorter man moves away with an audible smooch, and he’s smiling softly. Then his face scrunches up, his eyes disappear into crescents and his smile turns into a grin, “You like me so much? That’s all?”

The tone is teasing, and it makes Jaehyun snicker, “Yeah. I like you a _lot_. So very much.”

“That’s it?” It was a gasp, filled with fake hurt. The younger man is shoved away, only to be tackled amongst the blankets and the pillows. He hears laughter, shrieking laughter, and he realizes it was his own. Yuta’s own giggles follow, and they blend into a beautiful melody as they playfully wrestle in their little nest.

“Hey,” The blonde says as he steps out of the bathroom. He towels his hair as he eyes the lump on the bed. Jaehyun has a blanket draped over him, not completely so as the heat from his rut overwhelms him, but not exposing him so much that he won’t freeze to death. “I like you too. Really much, you know.”

“I know.” The younger mumbles.

“Yeah,” Yuta hangs his towel and joins him on the bed. Naturally, the taller curls up to him as the blonde slings an arm around and pulls the other alpha close. “So even if things are moving at a quick pace… I don’t really mind. I think we’re doing well, and yeah if… if our alphas want to be together… then hey, that’s a good sign right?”

“So we’re really gonna do it?” The taller hums, shivering when a hand brushes against his nape. It was fleeting, but the touch was there all the same. “We’re really gonna… mate?”

“If that’s okay with you,” A hand brings Jaehyun’s chin down, and there are fingers dancing on his cheek. “If I’m going to be honest, I’m all for it, but I don’t mind waiting if you want to wait. Not like our ruts would never overlap again in the future.”

“Well, we like each other a whole bunch,” Yuta snorts at that. He can’t believe they’re still using that card. “Our ruts are in sync, and we’re both down to mate. Hell yeah it’s okay with me.”

“That’s great to hear,” The blonde swoops in for a chaste kiss. When he pulls back, he looks a bit worried. “But are we just gonna… do it here?”

“Where else are we gonna do it?”

“You’re okay with mating in the _dorms?_ ”

“I mean, we’ve taken care of each other’s ruts here. How is this any different?”

“...True.”

“Did you want it to be special or something?”

“A little bit,” Yuta admits, pushing the younger away with a chuckle when he hears a lilting ‘Ohhhhh’. “I mean, we’re basically asking each other to be partners for life. I would want it to be a little romantic.”

“We’ll think of something,” Jaehyun assures his boyfriend. “I’m sure we can come up with something nice.”

“Yeah,” The older man sighs, hopelessly in love, before pushing the taller away. “Now move. Too much body heat is bad for the rut.” and he grunts when he gets another shove back. They both laugh as they settle in. They’re not chest to chest or embracing each other as they snooze, but beneath the blankets, their legs link together in a tangled mess. 

“Double Date 2.0!”

Yuta makes a noise of confusion. Jaehyun blinks, then he speaks. The presence of pheromone diffusers sprayed all over the two of them makes his head a little heavy. “2.0?”

“Yeah! All four of us!”

“And you couldn’t ask other couples because…?”

“Duh. We’re the cool kids,” Johnny strikes a little pose by putting a peace sign to his lips. “We kick society norms in the balls! Or something. Did I get that right, Markie?”

“Sure did.” Mark giggles.

“Fine,” The ravenet sighs. He needs some nutmeg to help him think, but there’s no hint of it at all. _This sucks_. “What have you got in mind?”

“A road trip to Busan!” Mark flails his hands excitedly. The American beside him chuckles fondly. “Johnny and I were planning to drive to Haeundae Beach, but we realized that you two could use some sea air too. A beach trip, and the winter break starts tomorrow!”

“It’s going to be fucking freezing.” Jaehyun deadpans. Mark is such a sweet man, but what use is a place for summer if they were going during one of the coldest periods of the year? Not to mention the expenses— how are a small group of broke college students going to afford all of it?

“We’re not going to swim or anything,” The omega mumbles, blushing. “I mean you can if you really want to but like… c’mon, wouldn’t it be great for us? Johnny found a nice hostel near the beach, and it’s really cheap. Johnny’s even willing to pay for half of your room, think about it!”

The ravenet feels a finger poke his side, and the Japanese man is staring at him with a knowing sparkle. It takes him a few seconds to catch on, but when he does, he looks back at Mark and Johnny with wide eyes. He hopes his grin isn’t too big. “Well… if you put it that way…”

“I think agreeing to the trip was a bad idea,” Yuta says as he puts his shirts in a plastic bag. He sighs as he looks into his closet. He hopes the amount of clothes he’s packing will be enough for the road, for three days and two nights. “I’m sure we reek of pheromones.”

“And you’re telling me this _now?_ ” The younger snarls. He can’t help it, the rut has flicked the switch to his emotions off; it’s more than likely that Jaehyun would be docile one moment, then nasty the next.

“Watch your tone,” Growling echoes throughout the room, and it’s from the blonde. He’s shoved the plastic bag full of shirts in a duffel bag almost violently. “Or else.”

“What are you gonna do? Punish me?” Jaehyun quips back, almost barking in sardonic laughter as he furiously zips up his own bag. His neck cracks as he swivels his head and smiles. The fangs are prominent, but he’s not necessarily baring them. 

Judging by the smell, by the amount of pheromones that just smack the younger in the face, the older alpha is fucking _livid_. The nutmeg absolutely fills his nose and lands on his tongue, and it’s so spicy. Yet, Jaehyun just smiles even wider. He just stands there and lets the Yuta stomp towards him and wrap a hand around his neck; not tight that his airflow is cut, but rather that it sets a reminder of who is alpha.

“Don’t forget who’s calling the shots here, little alpha,” The taller is yanked down to meet angry eyes. Jaehyun sucks in a breath, because there’s that feeling of being so small all over again. He wants to bite, wants to fight back, but he’s helplessly hypnotized and waiting with bated breath. “So you should probably behave yourself while I’m still being nice.”

If, on the off chance that Jaehyun bares his fangs, what would Yuta do? He wants to know, but maybe not now but... surely, very soon. The ravenet is still smiling, and a little high on nutmeg that he giggles out, “Yes, alpha.” 

There it is again, the entertaining way multiple emotions that flash by the blonde’s eyes like a movie— but one thing that the younger saw stay just a second longer was confusion. Yuta had, by all definitions, threatened the Korean into submission— for now, at least. Why, then, was Jaehyun looking like he was given some candy he so desperately wanted? He can’t really comprehend it.

Nevertheless, he lets the taller man go. He sounds a little unsure as he speaks, but he leaves the issue be; they’re both acting so unusual because of their ruts, after all. “Good,” he says, going back to his bag. “Let’s hurry up and finish packing. Mark said be in the parking lot ten minutes from now.”

“Yes, hyung.”

Jaehyun spots the omega furiously waving, and behind him is a simple black car; most likely a rental. He spots a figure in the driver’s seat, and it must be Johnny. 

“Hey! You guys are—” Mark starts to speak, smiling brightly once they’re within earshot, but that also means they’re within the range of an omega's nose; usually, it’s not that bad, but this is _Mark_ they’re talking about. Said omega’s voice dies down into a stage whisper as the alphas are at arm’s length, and his face is white with horror as he realizes the situation. “Y-you guys are in rut.”

“Yeah, haha…” Yuta laughs nervously. He digs through his bag and pulls out a travel bottle of pheromone diffuser. “But no worries! We came prepared.”

“I’m not really worried about that,” The youngest says as he opens the car door to the passenger seat. He’s half inside when he turns to look at the pair of alphas and points a thumb behind him. “I’m more worried about this guy.” 

In a timely manner, Johnny’s face just barely pops into view. He’s flabbergasted— blown-out eyes, and jaw dropped. No doubt he can smell them.

“The _both_ of you are in rut?”

“Yes babe, they are. Don’t say anythi—”

Mark’s cut off by loud laughter, and it’s the American. His head almost hits the steering wheel from how hard he throws himself around in the tiny car. The omega turns to them with a sigh, between the boisterous howling, “You can place your bags in the trunk. And give me the pheromone diffuser, I’ll set it up.” 

Two hours into the car trip, Johnny adjusts the rearview mirror and he catches Jaehyun’s eye. “You two aren’t gonna fuck in this car, are you?”

“Why would we—?” The Japanese man sputters. “No! No, we’re not!”

“Why not?” Jung Jaehyun has the fucking balls to pout at the alpha sitting on the other side of the car. There’s a healthy amount of space between them— mostly because their scents are almost choking up the whole car and mixing them would prove too much for all of them, but they’re also sure that if they were sitting so close to one another, they’d probably jump each other and go at it right then and there; either that or they’ll start fighting in the car, whichever comes first. “It’s a small car but I’m sure that we can think of something. Maybe I can suck yo—”

“Are you fucking crazy?” Yuta snaps. He feels his blood boil when the younger alpha is grinning like a cheshire cat. “Why are you smiling like that? I told you to behave or I swear to god I’ll—”

“Bathroom break!” The omega says loudly as they pull into a gas station. Mark hurriedly unbuckles his seat belt as the taller brunett shuts off the engine. “Johnny will get more pheromone diffusers so if the both of you don’t wanna use the restroom then just… just sit tight, okay? We’ll be quick, promise.”

Both Johnny and Mark swiftly get out of the car, out of the metal prison that contains dizzying amounts of pheromones. The American briskly walks to the convenience store nearby while the other man heads to the restroom. When they’re both out of sight, Yuta’s ears perk up when he hears scooting. 

“Jaehyun.”

The older growls, the sound coming full from his chest when he feels a hand on his thigh. The fingers try to move upward, but they’re stopped by an iron grip. “Jaehyun.”

“What?” Yuta jumps and turns his head immediately when there’s a voice right beside his ear. The younger is looking at him suggestively. “What is it, hyung?”

“Not now,” A groan escapes the blonde’s mouth, but to no avail when a pair of hands are roaming freely. “Not in the fucking _car_ , Jaehyun.” 

“But I need you so bad hyung,” The ravenet gasps out, moving so that he can cage the smaller man in, straddling his legs. His head lolls to the crook of the other alpha’s neck. They both moan at the same time; Yuta, because of how the taller licks and nibbles insistently at the exposed skin and Jaehyun, because of how nutmeg overloads his senses. “C’mon, we just need to be quick, right? We can do it like this, I can ride you like last time. Or I ca—”

Jaehyun squeezes his eyes and whimpers when he feels a hand tug on his hair. It’s almost painful, the way the older man forces him up by the strands and all but smash their lips together, but his mind is just going _yes yes yes this is what I want_. Their fangs strike against each other with audible clicking as fingers wander, tugging on hair and clothes or leaving a path of fireworks in their wake on every inch of skin. 

“H-hyung,” The younger tries to move closer, if that’s even possible, keening when a hand on his hair pulls him away instead. Yuta raises an eyebrow, seeing how far away Jaehyun is when he speaks with swollen lips. “Hyung, m-more. Please?”

“No,” the ravenet yelps when he’s unceremoniously thrown off the blonde’s lap to bounce against the car seat. His head hits the leather and he groans, both from the impact and the pheromones that’s just hovering over him like fog. “I fucking told you to be good, but you don’t listen. You’re only acting with your knot.” Jaehyun whines at that. 

“Sit up properly,” Yuta’s voice has fear sliver down the Korean’s spine like a viper, ready to strike. It prompts Jaehyun to obey, scrambling to get to his other side of the car and to comply with his boyfriend’s order if it means it would please him. “I’ll deal with you later. Right now, fucking _behave_ or I swear you’re going to regret it.”

“Yes,” Jaehyun whispers out, shaking. All he can think about is how the nutmeg grabs a hold of him and won’t let him go, think about what the shorter has in store for him. He’s scared, but he’s tingling with excitement. “Sorry, hyung.”

“Should’ve thought twice about acting out.” The other man just drones out, facing away from the taller and looking out of the window. He watches Johnny approach the car, carrying a plastic bag. Yuta tries to calm his breathing, tries not to think too much about how hot it is in the car despite how the frost managed to seep in. He can only hope to the heavens above that the car isn’t filled to the brim with their scents. Now, in addition to their rut-enhanced pheromones, the air is heavy with loaded silence. 

The Japanese man watches Johnny grab a hold of the car door from the driver’s side, hesitate for just a moment, before opening the floodgates. A thunk is heard as the brunett drops the bag as he groans. 

“What the fuck!” the eldest shouts into the backseat. “I thought you said you wouldn’t fuck in the car!”

“We didn’t!” Yuta bites back, gesturing to the space in between himself and his boyfriend. “It’s just… pheromones… yeah.”

“Okay, okay. Shit,” there’s rustling of the plastic bag, and Johnny pulls out a small bottle of pheromone diffuser. Stretching his neck, the blonde sees that the bag has, give or take, four more bottles wedged between snacks and drinks. “Let me just— pour more diffuser into the car freshener jar and uh—”

“Babe, did they fuck?” Mark’s voice is faint, but there’s no mistaking the surprise. The American reaches in, snatches said jar, and slips away as quickly as he came. 

Their conversation becomes muffled as Johnny slams the door shut so that more pheromones wouldn’t escape. The Japanese man hears shuffling and a choked whimper, and the smell of cinnamon spikes up. Yuta can only shut his eyes in an effort to block out the other alpha in the car.

This was going to be a long car ride. 

“Hello. Yes I’m Johnny Suh, I reserved a couple of rooms. For four people?” 

As the eldest among them is talking to the owner of the hostel, the remaining three stand around behind him. It’s pretty decent for a low-cost place, albeit a little cramped, and they would have admired the interior if there wasn’t such an air of awkwardness among the trio. 

Jaehyun and Yuta were currently doused in pheromone diffuser— almost a whole bottle, if only to hide the fact that they’re in rut. The distance in between them is practically nonexistent, even with their bags trying to force as much space in as possible; the entrance and lobby of the hostel all but squeezes them together, as if the building itself knows. 

“Relax, you guys,” the omega says, sucking in a breath and exhaling. He tries not to focus on the fact that the diffuser is weakening as the seconds tick by. “Just a little longer and you can… do your thing.”

Mark sighs, “Sorry for dragging you guys all the way here. You probably would have gotten it all sorted out by now.”

“No, no. It’s all good,” Jaehyun’s voice sounds sickly sweet. “We wanted a change of scenery anyway.”

His boyfriend’s knuckles turn white from gripping his bag strap a little too harshly, “What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” his voice makes Mark flinch. “S-shit I— I’m sorry, Mark.”

“It’s okay,” the brunett lets out a giggle. It’s a little strained, but he manages to continue on for the most part as if nothing had happened. “Let’s just hope Johnny finishes up quickly.”

As if on cue, said man approaches them and holds out a key for Yuta to take. A huge tag is attached with the room number stamped on it, “Two rooms, baby. And they’re right beside each other, so you can always knock if you need something.”

“Yoink!” a hand grabs it and the key disappears faster than the alpha could blink. It takes a second or two for the gears in his head to turn, but when they do, his ears register the jingling of metal before he sees the key shaking in front of his face. Of course, the person holding it is no other than Jaehyun. His smile is absolutely vexing. “Too slow, hyung.”

The older man doesn't even get the opportunity to retaliate when the ravenet turns and races towards the staircase nearby, skipping every few steps as laughter trails behind him like a flowing cape. His boyfriend can only grit his teeth and school his mouth into a plastic smile as he thanks the other couple, ultimately leaving them behind as he does his walk of shame up the flight of stairs.

His feet thud against the wood, and every step groans under the force. Yuta’s mind wanders to how a shitshow it was for the whole day, how he had to endure his boyfriend’s horny antics.

But now, with a room all to themselves, perhaps payback is called for. 

As he reaches the top, he sees the younger down at the end of the empty hallway. The Korean had dropped his bag in favor of unzipping his jacket and removing his gloves. The blonde’s feet pick up the pace, moving silently. Similar to a predator approaching its prey. 

Jaehyun suddenly drops the key with a moan when he feels fingers firmly kneading his thighs. He whirls his head behind him and it’s the other alpha, hands nonchalantly coming up to grope his ass. Just feeling the flesh with his free hand as if they’re not in the middle of the hostel's hallway. 

“Hyung, what t-the fuck are you doing?”

“No, what the fuck are _you_ doing?” Yuta retorts, giving the younger’s butt a little smack. “Open the door.”

“I’m trying— fuck,” the younger trembles when he bends down to pick up the key. He feels a palm slip under his jacket and shirt to run along his back; it’s too hot, he’s too hot, and why is trying to unlock a door suddenly a lot more difficult? “H-hyung, stop.”

“You didn’t listen to me, so why should I listen to you?” blunt nails drag down, leaving fire with a hint of electricity. “Open the fucking door. Unless you want me to take you right here? You remember that time I bent you against the door, baby? Made you moan for everyone to hear?”

Jaehyun lets out a dry heave, hand shaking as he struggles to put in the key in the goddamn lock. His pants are too tight, his brain too scattered, that it’s a miracle that a click echoes through the hall. 

“It’s u-unlocked.” the man gasps, hand yanking the door open. Yuta strides past him without a care in the world, smoothly taking off his shoes, and makes a noise of approval when he has the proper chance to survey the room. A little small, but he’s sure they’ll manage. A small desk and chair, a mounted TV, a mini-fridge, a door that leads to the small bathroom, and of course… an enormous bed. Probably queen-sized, with how it takes up a large portion of the room. Yuta wiggles his toes to feel the heating system through the floor.

All in all, a pretty decent setup. 

The blonde doesn’t even acknowledge the shut of the door, or the thudding of a bag. 

“Hyung.”

Yuta just whistles, gently setting his own bag down at the foot of the bed. The way he removes his jacket, neatly folds it, and places it on the desk is casual. Like he’s not on holding on mere threads of self control. 

“Hyung,” a throaty rumble raises goosebumps along the blonde’s arms. “Pay attention to me.”

“Who the fuck do you think you’re growling to?” the older snarls, finally turning to face his boyfriend. Jaehyun is growling, and his stance sets off warning bells in the Japanese man’s head— the taller wants to compete. For dominance. The blonde can see it in the way the younger stiffens his neck, how his eyes are hooded, how he bares his fangs so blatantly.

But then Jaehyun smiles, a little frenzied and desperate, and the other alpha understands. 

It was an invitation. A little come-on. A challenge. _Could Yuta pretty please force him into submission?_

The shorter just leers in an effort to keep a smile from breaking out. His little alpha is just so precious, and so pathetic. It takes two swift steps to reach the taller, to close the space between them at last, and Yuta does it so quickly.

“Well? What are you gonna do?” the blonde taunts, roughly grabbing Jaehyun’s shirt and pulling him down. Their gazes are piercing and intense. Their senses are on overdrive, and the remnants of the pheromone diffuser surrenders to cinnamon and nutmeg that are rearing their heads like snakes. “Are you gonna be a big, bad alpha again?”

Yuta lets out a bark of laughter when lips crash against each other carelessly. Their movements are hurried, like they don’t have much time to savor each other, and the older man’s tugging at Jaehyun’s jacket matches that urgency. The younger is so absorbed in the kiss, so focused on trying to gain the upper hand, that he only realized they’ve been moving around once his back lands on the soft bed with a little thud. 

His boyfriend grins down at him, all cuspidate and knifelike. “Huh? Why are you under me, _alpha_?”

The way the word ‘alpha’ glides off the blonde’s tongue is condescending, mocking, and it makes the younger fly off the handle; he jerks up, and he would have been tearing Yuta to shreds if it weren’t for the fact that the other man had managed to hold him down by the hips at the last second. The sight is so entertaining, watching Jaehyun’s little tantrum. The taller’s teeth snap with audible clacking, growling at every chance he gets as his hands try to grab and pry the man’s hands off of him. So close, yet so far.

“You’re _so_ cute baby,” the saccharine-laced words make Jaehyun gnarl. “Too bad you were a second too slow.”

“Not baby. Not cute,” a solid _crack-crack_ echoes through the small room from how hard the Korean is shaking his head. “N-not—”

The ravenet’s voice breaks into a quiet moan when the hands holding him down tense up their grip. It’s firm; they’ll certainly cause bruises to blossom. Little claims here and there.

“It h-hurts,” Jaehyun breathes wetly. It’s too fucking hot, and the hands clamp down on him a little too much, but he can’t get enough. He tries to bite back a whine, squirming, trying to get the edge off. “I-it hurts, wait—”

“Then submit,” the older murmurs. He’s hovering over the Korean, blonde hair cascades over his face and blankets his all-consuming eyes— but doesn’t do much to mask the arrogant smirk he’s sporting. His canines are more prominent than the rest of his teeth. “If you do, then alpha can make you feel really good. What do you think?”

“Fuck you,” the taller man had stopped thrashing, but his words had not lost their bite. “Fuck you, fuck you f—” 

“Wrong answer,” Yuta’s hands hike the taller’s shirt up, and lets his thumbs flit across his boyfriend’s nipples. The older stifles a laugh when he sees how the Korean chew on his lower lip and grip at the blonde’s arms like they’re his lifeline. “Now submit.”

“N-no.” Jaehyun tries to get the blonde off, but all he really does is shake like a leaf in the wind. Hands run up and down his torso, nails scratch down and it leaves streaks of aching and embers. It fucking hurts but it hurts so _good_.

“Come on, little alpha,” The Japanese man leans down, purring. His lips brush against the taller’s ear, tinted red and warm. He knows full well that Jaehyun can just turn his head and sink his teeth in, but he also knows the man wouldn’t; he’s had so many chances, and he’s positive that the ravenet wouldn’t take this one. “ Be good and relax for me. Do it for me, baby.”

The younger’s shaking doesn’t stop. “I—”

“Safeword?” Yuta butts in, letting his lips skim over the blossoming, angry scratches his nails had left; they’re warm to the touch, and some of the trails started from Jaehyun’s chest down to his v-line; no blood, no open wound. The blonde finds the other man so beautiful, a blank canvas to be marked and to ruin, but he cares more about the boyfriend himself more than ravishing him. “Too rough? Too painful? Too much?”

“No, don’t stop, I—” The Korean pants, whimpering when he feels his lover start to unbuckle the belt looped around him. His inner alpha wants to keep playing, doesn’t want it to end just yet. _Give me what I want_. “Ugh, fuck… fuck you—”

“I think it’s the other way around, babe,” Words flow like sweet ambrosia, presenting itself like an offering, like something for Jaehyun to feast on. “Poor Jaehyunnie can’t help himself in his rut, can he? That’s why he’s been acting up all day. Just wants alpha to fuck him silly. Is that it? You just want to be knotted until you’re dumb?” 

So the younger takes it, he lets himself drink it and savors every last drop; the words, paired with Yuta’s voice, make it all the more intoxicating, and the bigger man chokes on a cry as his mind goes hazy. The blonde giggles, absolutely loving the way the fight abandons Jaehyun and leaves him to become jelly. 

“Clothes off.”

All Jaehyun really did was just lift his hips, and even that was done with the help of the older. He’s boneless, doesn’t even move as the denim and boxers smooth along, until they’re completely off and fall to the floor. He raises his arms without even being aware of it, just feels soft cloth brush against his skin and then it’s gone.

“ _Look_ at you, little alpha,” The blonde coos, hastily removing his shirt so that it can join the pile of clothes on the ground. His hand grabs Jaehyun’s dick, which has been steadily growing to hardness; it’s a little amusing, because Yuta’s hand can barely take the younger’s cock. He strokes it slowly, taking his time, feeling pleased with himself when the taller tries to muffle his moans. “So, so pretty.”

“Not pretty,” fangs are bared once more, and Jaehyun tries to growl. Emphasis on the word ‘try’. “Nuh-no.”

“But you are, baby. You’re so fucking beautiful and you sound so cute trying to deny it. You smell so,” Yuta grabs locks of black hair and pulls, jerking Jaehyun’s head to the side. The blonde leans in and takes in sweet, fragrant cinnamon. He moans right into the crook of the milky skin, into the younger’s neck. “So fucking good. And it’s all for _me_.”

“H-hurts,” The other alpha can only gasp out, thrusting his hips up to meet his boyfriend’s fist. There’s no set pace; the ravenet is just doing so because his alpha genetics tell him to fuck up into something. Anything to satisfy his knot, which is slowly but surely growing. “Ah, ngh— feels good—”

“Yeah? You like it when it hurts,” It wasn’t a question, not at all. “You like being a little brat just to rile me up.” 

“Sorry!” Jaehyun whimpers, bringing a fist to his mouth and sobbing into it when the shorter’s fangs graze his neck. The same spot where the claiming bite was all those months ago.

“On your stomach, baby. Just lie there and look all pretty,” Yuta breathes out as he pulls back and away, reaching into his duffel bag to pull out a bottle of lube. His eyes glance over the marks he’s left so far— a single hickey at the base of the other’s neck, scratches down his chest. Such beautiful art. “And let alpha do all the work.”

“I-I’m alpha,” The younger man manages to spit, even though he flips over obediently. He tries to coat the words with venom, but he just ends up sounding as if he’s sulking. “I’m alpha.”

“But who’s _your_ alpha?” 

The Korean doesn’t answer, just grabs a pillow and thumps his face on it. He shakes, and he doesn’t know if it’s because he wants to fight and continue their little game or to give up the pretense and just let himself be taken care of. He jumps, however, when he feels a hand slap one of his asscheeks. Looking behind, he sees Yuta staring back at him with an expectantly; the ravenet doesn’t dare look down, but he’s certain that his boyfriend has gotten rid of his pants and boxers. How did he not notice? “Answer me.” 

“...You. You’re my alpha.” Jaehyun forces out with gritted teeth. He tries to stop the quaking of his legs, but ultimately fails when a hand starts to massage one of his thighs.

“Yeah. You’re my little alpha,” It’s not ignored, the manner in which the younger straightens up when he hears the cap of a bottle opening, or the way he stiffens when too-cold lube brushes against his flaming skin. “My cocksleeve. My pretty baby. Mine.” 

“You’re so wonderful, babe. So amazing for me,” The blonde prattles on, letting his words become a soothing salve as he eases in a finger. It’s not the first time they’ve done this— no fucking way, but Jaehyun is still stiff as a board and it’s obvious that he’s still trying to keep up the charade. “Taking me so well, so tight and wet for me. Too bad you just wanna play games.”

“You should submit, little alpha,” Yuta’s only answer was a drawn out mewl, and he feels the bigger man clench around his finger. He doesn’t stop talking though, just works in another. “Don’t you wanna be a good boy for me? Don’t you want to feel good? I’ll forgive you and I’ll even fuck you the way you lik—”

“Alpha,” Jaehyun breaks, and so does his voice. He cries into the pillow, and his sentences are both slurred and faint because of the pillow. His arms tremble from how hard he’s gripping the soft cloth. “I-I’m suh-sorry, sorry— I want m-more, p-ple— I’m sorry! Sorry, ah-alpha— eek!”

The man weakly whimpers when he feels teeth graze his nape. They coast down, down, lightly nibbling on a patch of skin mere inches from where a mating bite should be. Yuta’s mouth flitted up to whisper straight into his boyfriend’s ear. “Ass up, baby. I’ll give you what you want.”

And the Japanese man can feel pride blossoming in his chest when the ravenet obeys without question, without resisting; with this position, the older man can reach in significantly deeper. He adds one more finger, wiggles all three of them around to try and loosen the other alpha up. Yuta keeps his lips close, to whisper sweet praises and assurances. Jaehyun can’t really make sense of it, his head all too floaty to really listen, but he catches a few sentences. 

“Good boy...”

“So pretty for me...”

“I’m removing my fingers, okay...?”

“W-wait, what?” Jaehyun jolts when said fingers leave his hole so quickly, and he suddenly feels so empty. He clenches around nothing, and he desperately reaches an arm behind him. “I’m sorry alpha! I’m r-really sorry, I promise! Wuh-won’t play g-games anymore, I’ll be ho— _ahhh_ —”

Perhaps the Korean was about to say the word ‘honest’, but it seems like Yuta would never know; it turned into a melodic moan at the last second as soon as he sheathed his lubed cock into Jaehyun’s wet heat. It’s easy for the shorter to bottom out, since they’ve danced this dance so many times before; in a weird way, it felt like home. 

Yeah, maybe being intimate with Jaehyun was just… one of the aspects that make up this little thing they call ‘home’.

“Good?” The Japanese man had used his legs to pin down the taller's, used his own arms to hold onto Jaehyun’s. When the ravenet quiets down, that's when the other alpha starts moving in earnest. From the get-go, he thrusts in with purpose; not too soft that his boyfriend would complain and possibly try to play fight again, but not too hard that Yuta would seriously injure him, either. “Like it?”

“I like it,” It’s a little cute, the way Jaehyun flops his head back onto his pillow and sobs into it. Yuta can’t see his face, but the fact that the taller is pushing his hips back to meet the shorter must be a good sign. “I like it, I l-like it!”

“Let me hear you, little alpha,” The Japanese man slightly alters their position— now the taller one is on all fours, but even so, Yuta is basically mounting him. He swivels his hips as he pulls back and pushes back in, wanting so desperately to hear Jaehyun. “C’mon, don’t be shy.”

The blonde didn’t really expect a hand at the back of his head, being pushed forward, and meeting swollen lips in a bruising makeout session. Again, there was that sense of urgency, like their lives depend on it. Yuta hums into the kiss whenever he feels that same hand tug on his hair from time to time, happily swallowing his boyfriend’s whines and groans.

“O-ow,” Jaehyun whimpers, pulling back just a bit. The arm that’s been keeping the Japanese close has started to cramp, so he reluctantly lets it fall to the bed. Without missing a beat, Yuta pulls out and flips him over. He grasps the bigger man’s hand, intertwines their fingers as he slams in. “A-alpha!”

“Shhh, it’s okay,” The Japanese man doesn’t let up; never slows down as he reaches forward and connects their lips once more. He can taste cinnamon, he can taste nutmeg. He mindlessly babbles into the kiss. “Alpha’s here. I’ll take such good care of you, baby.”

“Alpha,” A little keen suddenly leaves Jaehyun and the other man eats it up. “C-close. N-need to knot, puh-please? Please let me knot, pluh-please!”

“I got you, baby,” A hand glides down to grip the taller dick; it has been leaking for a while now, and there’s a telltale sign of a knot. “I got you. You’ve been so, so good for alpha.”

“Ngh, ah—” 

“Jaehyunnie,” The older mumbles, sucking in a sharp breath when his lover clenches down for an answer. “F-fuck, Jaehyun. I need to kn— is it okay if I bite you? Can I really be your alpha, Jaehyun?”

“Yes yes _yes_ ,” Tears cascade down the Korean’s face as he speaks. He holds the shorter’s hand tight, doesn’t want to let go. “Yes yes y—”

“Come here. Show me your neck, little alpha,” Yuta’s touch is gentle as he pulls the other man’s close, cranes his neck so that Jaehyun's nape is in full view. The skin is white, unblemished— perfect for showing off a mating bite. His voice is strained, teeth just wanting to _bite bite bite_. But he holds himself back, just for a moment. “I’m gonna do it, okay?”

“I’m gonna c-come!” Jaehyun cries into his boyfriend’s neck. His own hips move weakly, trying to chase sweet euphoria. His knot is threatening to burst, leaking all over Yuta’s hand. “I’m guh-gonna come—!”

The moment the blonde sinks his teeth in, Jaehyun’s whole body freezes. He doesn’t speak, doesn’t make a sound whatsoever. He can literally feel his body—his _soul_ — ascending; this consuming, intense, wonderful feeling. Hiis mind blanks for a moment, but when he comes to (does he even?), he's in overdrive. The bond… it’s still one-sided, the younger not having reciprocated with a bite of his own, but he can feel the connection already. He can feel himself being linked to Yuta, being Yuta’s. And it has never felt so right, so beautiful, and his heart threatens to burst because he feels so safe, so cherished; the ravenet wonders if his boyfriend can feel it.

And the orgasm… it’s something Jaehyun wants to experience again and again and _again_.

The younger groans, and that’s when he realizes that now he really comes to; he feels the older man slightly shaking him, and hears a familiar voice laced with urgency.

“—? Hey, Jaehyun,” It takes a few seconds for the taller one to open his eyes, and longer still for them to focus. When they do, he looks down. He’s on the bed, laying on his back. He feels stickiness on his stomach and, oh, that’s a lot of come. Yuta sighs in relief. “Thank god. You scared me for a moment there.”

“What did I...?” The younger coughs, because his voice is so hoarse. He takes in a deep breath, because he can feel his lover’s knot kissing his hole and it rekindles that aching need; that’s rut for you. Jaehyun feels something wet slip into his mouth as he tries to breathe normally, and that’s when he realized that he was drooling.

“You weren’t moving, or saying anything, so I thought that something wrong happened and I—” The Japanese man starts to speak, but he chuckles under his breath. He shakes his head, leaning in close to leave a light peck on the other’s sweaty forehead. “Was it really that good?”

“So good,” Jaehyun breathes out, letting the smaller man litter soft kisses on his face. “Fuck, i-it was so good.”

“Wanna help me get there too?” Light jostling has the younger remember that Yuta’s still inside him, throbbing and warm. The blonde moves just a bit—just a light jostle, really— but it has the taller curling his toes from the stimulation. “I’m close baby, so I wanna know if you want me to knot you.”

“Breed me,” Jaehyun whimpers. Legs try to pull the shorter man closer, try to somehow inch Yuta so that his knot would just fit in. “F-fuck, alpha, please breed me.”

“Yeah? You want me to fill your tight hole?” The blonde resumes ramming into the other, taking care to not be too rough so that the overstimulation wouldn’t hurt his boyfriend, but he doesn’t compromise his sureness; the ravenet wants his knot, and who was he to deny Jaehyun of that? Yuta hisses, feeling his knot pop in and is immediately clenched down. 

“Alpha… alpha—” Jaehyun feels tears spring to his eyes. God, he feels so full. He’s sure that the older alpha is reaching in deep, and the ravenet curls his toes because of the sheer amount of sparks that dance up and down his spine. 

“Y-you’re squeezing me so tight, little alpha. Shit,” Yuta spits, hips stuttering as he tries to move. It’s hard, with the limited room he’s been given. “It’s l-like you want my pups.”

Whether it’s an actual desire or just a kink is something the both of them haven’t talked about yet; it’s just that Yuta had given into his alpha instincts so much that the words tumbled out naturally. As soon as they left his mouth, he stops all movement. He knows it’s uncharted territory, and he has no idea how his boyfriend would react. “J-Jaehyun. Shit, I’m so—”

“Yes,” Jaehyun sobs, suddenly drags the blonde close. His stomach is still very sticky with come, and Yuta grunts when he’s suddenly tugged to hit a firm chest. “Y-your pups, w-want— oh fuck, alpha. It h-hurts, pluh-please breed your little alpha— F-fill me with your puh-pups—”

“What the _fuck_ , Jaehyun,” Yuta pants, doing what he can to chase his own orgasm. The words revitalize him, fan the flames of arousal as he makes minute thrusts. “I can’t fucking believe you— fuck—”

“Alpha, can I?” The ravenet moans, pulling the shorter man by the neck. He bares his fangs, not trying to be aggressive, but rather pleading. “I-I might come again, I wuh-wanna bite, too. A-alpha, can I—”

He only gets a shaky grunt as an answer, and a silent display of an unblemished nape. Jaehyun keens in delight as he uses his free hand to reach down and jerk himself off. Fuck, he’s probably going to be all sore and drained when the haze of their ruts lift, but right now, he’s not complaining. 

He doesn’t hesitate to ease the ache in his fangs, bites down onto skin and tasting the slight metallic tang of blood. Jaehyun chokes on a moan, because he’s being tipped over and is falling head-first into a mind-blowing orgasm— again.

It’s weaker than when he first experienced it; he had just came a few minutes ago, after all. But putting that aside... he can feel the connection completely, if that sudden burst of happiness was any proof of it; everything was black one moment, then the next thing he knows, he can feel his chest thrum with absolute joy. The feeling is foreign but, at the same time, so natural. He’s Yuta’s, and Yuta is his. 

What brings him back down to Earth, however, is a breathy whimper beside his ear. Jaehyun bites down a cry when he feels Yuta’s dick inside him kick once, twice, then fill him with ropes of semen. It’s stuffing him up so much, and he wouldn’t be surprised if the come would flow out of him freely once the Japanese man pulls out, staining the bedsheets dirty white. 

“That,” Jaehyun hears his boyfriend rasp out, collapsing fully on top of the taller man. They’re both panting, bodies shining with sweat and icky with come. “Was so fucking good.” 

“Told you so,” The younger exhales, winded. Their flames of their ruts have died down. For now. Jaehyun squirms. “Ugh. Now I feel gross.”

“This is still nice,” Yuta sighs, wrapping his arms around the taller and snuggling into the cinnamon; no, it wasn’t just cinnamon. There was nutmeg, too, but at the same time… ah, the pheromones are just too much as of the moment. They’ll figure it out once their ruts are over. “Now we can be gross mates together.”

“Ew,” Jaehyun makes fake gagging sounds, but embraces the smaller man back. He sighs into the blonde hair, “I really, really like you, hyung. So much.”

“We’re _still_ going with that?” The other alpha scoffs. 

Stuck like that for half an hour is bound to get uncomfortable, but what can you do except hug your new mate and ride out the rut with them? Jaehyun wants to say something, maybe an ‘I love you’— to actually fold and just say it outright but… through the bond, he can feel Yuta’s happiness. His affection, his love. It warms his own heart, makes it sing a little happy tune. 

Jaehyun smiles into blonde hair and strange pheromones— scents that are both theirs, but at the same time something completely new. He grins and thinks that perhaps, maybe he doesn’t need to say it out loud. Not anymore.

Neither of them were really good with words anyway.

It could be because they had mated, but their rut was way too fucking short— a whopping two days. But even so, it didn’t mean the ruts were less intense than the past ones; no, this has got to be borderline overwhelming, if their current situation is saying something. 

“Thank _fuck_ ,” Yuta groans in relief as he finishes a bottle of water. His mate had rushed past him, snatched another bottle from Johnny, and is currently too busy chugging it down to really say anything. “Thanks.”

“No problem,” The alpha says, one hand dropping down a plastic bag full of food and water while the other is pinching his nose. His voice sounds, well, nasally. “Glad you guys are like, still alive and unharmed.”

“The unharmed part is debatable,” Mark says, setting down another plastic bag, mirroring Johnny by plugging his own nose. “I mean, just look at the both of them, dude. It’s like they got mauled by bears or something. And their scent— _whew_.” 

“Don’t start,” The blonde groans, taking the bags and setting them on the desk of their room. “We couldn’t really help it.”

The American gasps in horror as he looks into the room. “Your sheets…”

“Don’t start!”

“About that,” Jaehyun finally speaks, gasping when he chugged the water bottle down to its very last drop. He looks sheepish. “C-can you guys um… ask the owner for some new ones?”

“And you’re gonna give him the old sheets? The ones you guys soiled? That’s low, man.”

“W-we’ll wash it! We’ll take care of it! But—” Hands clasp together desperately and Jaehyun busts out the puppy eyes. “It’s Christmas. Are you really gonna make us sleep on a dirty bed, on _Christmas_?”

Johnny snorts, brushing it off. But it’s Mark that looks embarrassed, playing with the ends of his hair as he whispers out, “Well, n-no…”

“Mark, he’s playing you! Don’t give in to the enemy!”

“But he has a point, babe!” The omega whines. “It’s Christmas, and we have to be nice.” 

“Yeah,” Jaehyun pouts. “Do it. For the spirit of Christmas.”

“But I— we already—” words tumble over and eventually fade into a defeated sigh when Johnny realizes he’s faced with two men that would not budge, and he has to surrender when Mark starts to pout too. “Fine. Come on, Markie. Let’s go.”

Johnny ends up being led to the hostel lobby by his overly happy and bouncy omega, leaving Yuta to whistle as the younger alpha shuts the door. “I can’t believe you actually pulled that card.”

“Works like a charm,” Jaehyun giggles, retreating into the room to scoop his mate into his embrace. “How are you feeling?”

“Hungry as fuck.”

“Ugh, you know what I mean.”

“What do you think?” Yuta pushes out of his hug and makes a beeline to one of the plastic bags. He takes out a can of Pringles. “It’s been day two since the whole mating bite thing. You should probably know.”

“You’re happy,” It’s obvious. That little but perpetual fluttering in Jaehyun’s chest. “And it’s been three days.”

“And you’re sad,” His mate throws back, popping a potato chip in his mouth. He can feel the slight tugging in his heart. “Why?”

“I’m just a little bummed that we have to spend Christmas morning washing the bedsheets,” The Korean mumbles, plopping onto the floor. He’s not gonna go on the bed. No way, José. “Really sucks.”

“It’s just some cloth. We’ll be quick about it,” Yuta takes a spot beside his boyfriend, holding out the can. “Then we can spend the day however you want. How’s that sound?”

“Perfect,” Jaehyun takes five chips and eats two straight away. “It’s perfect as long as it’s with you.”

The younger alpha dies a little inside as his mate hands the now-clean bed sheets to the owner of the hostel. 

It’s not that obvious— they scrubbed out the stains as best they can and drizzled some pheromone diffuser all over it for good measure, but Jaehyun knows what they did, and it’s embarrassing. He skulks away to hide behind Mark and Johnny. 

“Oh my, you didn’t have to wash them!” A surprised voice makes Jaehyun shrink behind his best friend, who laughs. 

“Maybe if you didn’t go crazy in your room, your boyfriend wouldn’t have to deal with that,” Johnny snorts as he watches Yuta bow profusely to the hostel owner. “Look at him. He looks almost pathetic. All because you couldn’t control yourselves.”

“It was either here or the car,” Jaehyun snarls. “Did you want us to fuck in the car, then?”

When the Japanese man had caught up to them, he hung his head. “You guys were just watching?”

“At least that’s over and done with! Thank you for taking one for the team, babe.” The ravenet holds out a hand for Yuta, who high fives him sadly. 

Mark coughs. “Well, now that’s out of the way,” he says as he opens the door. The cold breeze smacks all of them in the face, and they collectively groan. “Let’s go do... whatever we can do in Haeundae beach on a winter day.”

Turns out, they can do a bunch of things.

For a late lunch, they indulged in the Haeundae market; they were able to fill their bellies and combat the cold with piping hot street food.

“Oh, this is good!” Johnny picks a piece of tteokbokki with a toothpick. He holds it out for his boyfriend to eat, who takes it gratefully. 

Next, they wandered through the market stalls, picking out souvenirs for both their friends and family. As Johnny and Mark try to decide what to get for Donghyuck, Yuta picks up a small, embroidered pouch, “Jaehyunnie, what do you think?”

“It’s nice. Oh, the design matches with that bag,” The man points it out. “Are you buying it for your mom?”

“Yeah. I’m planning to get her something when I visit home for spring break,” Yuta furrows his brow. “Do you think she’ll like something like this?”

“I’m sure she will, babe. It’s beautiful,” Jaehyun smiles. He doesn’t know if his cheeks are red from the frost or from how thoughtful his mate is being. “She’ll love it.”

The blonde clicks his tongue, nodding. He then calls over the stall owner. “Ahjumma! I’d like to buy this pouch and this bag, please.”

It’s break time, and by that they mean it’s time to put the stuff they bought up in their rooms before heading right out again. The sun is setting, and that means beautiful Christmas lights. 

“Hyung,” Jaehyun suddenly says as he drops a small bag of souvenirs on the floor. His boyfriend only makes a questioning noise as he sits on the floor to place his own trinkets in his duffel bag. “You know I love you, right?”

Yuta stops all movement, just for a second, before turning with a cocked eyebrow. “Who are you and what did you do to Jaehyun?”

“Hyung!” The other man groans, bringing a hand to his face as he sits on the floor too. It’s still a little cold, but it’s quickly heating up under all the blushing. “I… ugh. I know we’ve never really said that to each other but now that we’re mates… I love you. There.”

His only reply is laughter and Yuta gently removing his hand from his face. The blonde grabs Jaehyun by the neck and pulls him down, leaving a fleeting kiss on his lips. He pulls back, letting his hand gently stroke the still tender bite. “I already know, silly alpha. I can feel it through the bond.”

“Great. Now you can’t bug me about not saying it outright,”Jaehyun sighs, letting his head loll. “But I really do love you, you know.”

“I know,” His boyfriend plays with the black hair. They stay like that for a while, and perhaps will do so until the other duo knock on their door. “I love you too.” 

“See you later.” Mark waves a bit as he and Johnny walk away. Both couples had agreed that they’ll walk around for a while, spending time with each other and admiring what the city nightlife has to offer. Jaehyun wastes no time grabbing his mate’s hand and leading him away. Away from the hostel and down the stone steps that lead to sand. 

There aren't many people along the shore, and the bright lights from the city don’t quite reach and illuminate the beach, but it’s perfect for Yuta and Jaehyun. They walk along the beach, quiet and holding hands in the semi-dark.

“So, how would you rate today?” The blonde speaks up as they approach the water. The waves lap at the sand with no care in the world. “Did it live up to your expectations?”

“Eight over ten. Would totally do it again,” His boyfriend says as they look over the ocean, into the night that stretches over the water as far as the eye can see. “Minus points because we spent the morning washing bed sheets.”

“Big baby,” The Japanese man scoffs. “You’re hard to please.”

“I have high standards.”

“I know, that’s why you ended up with me.” Yuta puffs out his chest, but his shoulder was oh so rudely bumped by his mate. The shorter giggles. 

Jaehyun sighs, breathing in to take in the fresh air, “Seriously though, I really enjoyed today.”

“Yeah?”

“Mhm,” The man exhales. All around them, there are children laughing and playing with their families. Other couples are taking strolls on the beach, but the two alphas are the only ones rooted in their spots. “It kind of sucks that we have to go home tomorrow.”

“Gonna miss the nice view?”

“Yeah,” Jaehyun chuckles. “I dunno if it’s just me, or if going back to the dorms will just remind me of schoolwork. It’s like boom, no more time to kick back and relax.”

“Well, until that comes, let’s enjoy the beach. Right now, we have all the time in the world.” Yuta laughs breathlessly, grabbing his mate’s chin and connecting their lips. They take their sweet time under the badly lit beach. 

“Y’know, I was thinking...” The blonde says as he rubs his damp hair with a towel. Freshly showered, he eyes the taller man who’s currently fixing his spot of the bed. 

“Of?”

“Well,” Yuta sighs as he hangs his towel. “What do you think of visiting home with me?”

“You… want to take me to Osaka?” There’s no mistaking the surprise and disbelief that bleeds into the younger’s voice. “Are you serious?”

“Well, yeah,” The Japanese man jumps into bed, doesn’t waste a second to bury himself under the covers and sticking to his boyfriend like glue. “I mean, I’ll probably have to become a part-time tutor because the money my mom sent me might not be enough, so—”

“But why, hyung? Why do you wanna take me back home?” Jaehyun asks. “Don’t get me wrong! I think it would be great but… why?”

Yuta doesn’t say anything, just moves around to get comfortable. Then when he speaks, it’s a simple answer. “I think my family would like you.”

“...Thank you?”

“I mean like— ugh,” He groans, resting his head on the bigger alpha’s shoulders. “I told them all about you, and they’re eager to meet you. A-and we’re mates now. I kind of wanna… introduce you to them… if that’s okay.”

“Do you think they’ll like me?” Jaehyun’s hand reaches to stroke blonde hair. “What if I do or say something stupid and they’ll think I’m weird?”

“You already are,” Yuta says, but laughs when he hears a snarl. “I didn’t mean it as a bad thing. I’m sure they’ll love you, babe.”

“Yeah,” The younger lets the tips of his fingers skim along his boyfriend’s mating bite and smile when he hears the blonde's rumbling purr. “I’d probably have to get a job at the convenience store, though.”

“Why? I can pay for the plane tickets. I just need to schedule some tutoring sessions and it should be enough.”

“Not just that,” Jaehyun whines. “I wanna do other things. What’s there to do and see in Osaka?”

“Well, I know of a museum or two. Y’know, about the history and tradition of Japan,” Yuta sighs. “Oh, and there’s a lot of food in Dotonbori, so we can go on a food trip. Hmm… Shinsaibashi has a little bit of everything, and I think there’s this shopping street—”

“I wanna go to all of them.”

“It’s gonna be crazy expensive.”

“Well, you did offer to be my sugar daddy,” The ravenet giggles when he hears a growl. “But seriously, I wanna do stuff in Osaka. Maybe not all the stuff you mentioned but... I’ve never really been there before, and you’re making it sound really nice.”

“So operation ‘Bring Jaehyun to Osaka so He Can Meet Yuta’s Family and Explore’ is a go?”

“You’re such a fucking dork,” Jaehyun groans, hugging his mate close. “It’s a go.” He can’t stop the smile from growing on his face when he hears cheers from the alpha laying beside him.

“Hyung,” The man can’t stop himself. He’s so overcome with emotion, and so suddenly; what’s the matter with him? “I really, really love you, you know.” 

“I _know_ , Jaehyunnie. I love you too,” Yuta rolls over on top of the taller. He grins, then rolls off to Jaehyun's side. “We’ve come really far, don’t you think?”

“Yeah,” The ravenet pulls his boyfriend close, as close as humanly possible. It’s a way to beat the harsh winter; certainly not because their bond makes him feel so secure and adored. Their little mantra, their little secret, is the last thing Jaehyun says as they drift into dreamland, feeling content and safe. They’re each other’s home. “We’re fine. We’re okay.”

“Everybody say bye-bye, Haeundae beach.”

“Three days wasn’t enough,” Mark complains, and straightens in his seat when the American pulls the car in reverse. “Johnny, quick! Go book our rooms again until New Year’s.”

“I barely have money left, you ass. Do you know how much won I have left—?”

While they were bickering, the other couple were sitting in the backseat quietly. There is virtually no space in between them, and Yuta takes it as an opportunity to whisper in his mate’s ear, “What do you wanna do for New Year’s?”

Jaehyun shrugs. “Maybe we can buy soju and drink in our room? We can do that, right? Or we can make out. That’s a good alternative.” 

“Hmm… I’m good with soju for New Year’s. But who said you have to wait until then for some tongue action?” The man wiggles his eyebrows. “C’mere.” he says, and sweeps the taller up in a passionate kiss. 

God, the sheer amount of love that flows through their bond is enough to give the younger goosebumps. His toes curl as their lips mesh together familiarly, having got to know each other so well. He loves Yuta, he loves his alpha. _And there is absolutely nothing wrong with what they're doing,_ Jaehyun thinks. 

“Hey! You two! No fucking in this car!”

_There is absolutely no wrong here._

**Author's Note:**

> Oh. My. Goodness. This is it. This is actually the end for the series (In Yujae's perspective, at least. Still gotta write that Johnmark side chapter, y'know).
> 
> I have had so much fun writing this series. To be honest, I didn't really expect this to become popular (?) and it just— WOW. Thank you guys so much for reading, commenting, the works. You have no idea how happy each of you made me. As a writer, you guys mean a lot to me just as much as this series does. 
> 
> I hope you guys stick around for my future works— I don't really stick to one ship, so I hope that's okay. Thanks again for reading! <3


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